CFP: Books on the Battlefield: The Appropriation, Use, and Reception of Books in Warfare, 1450 to the Present Day (UK) (4/30/07;

*Books on the Battlefield: the reception, use, and appropriation ofbooks in warfare, 1450 to the present day*3rd November, 2007, King's Manor, University of York.

The relationship between books and war appears self-evident: books haveacted as potent weapons in ideological warfare and war has providedliterature with one of its most enduring themes. Yet the reception, use,and appropriation of texts in a military context has remained relativelyunexplored. While the work of Paul Fussell, Samuel Hynes and others hasraised important questions about the literary dimensions of soldiers'narratives, the ways in which combatants' reading shaped theirexperience and understanding of war deserve further examination. We alsoneed to consider texts targeted specifically at soldiers, from thepocket bibles and catechisms produced for the Parliamentarian forcesduring the English Civil War to the vast range of literature publishedthrough the US armed services editions in the twentieth century. Paperswhich look beyond the Anglo-American experience of war will beparticularly welcome. Please send proposals of up to 500 words toCatriona Kennedy (calk100_at_york.ac.uk) and Helen Smith (hs25_at_york.ac.uk)by 30th April, 2007.